"I should not be so hard on Mrs.Upjohn." "You do not intend to be hard on any one." "But to be just is to seem hard," said Gerald.
"It is a divine prerogative to know just how far to temper justice with mercy," Denham answered.

"I suppose none of us can hope to attain to perfect knowledge; but if there must be error, I would for myself rather err in excess of mercy than of justice." "In other words, between two evils you would choose the least," Gerald replied.

"That is the common way of getting out of the difficulty.

But it seems to me like compromising with evil.

There ought to be always some third, wholly right, way out of every dilemma, if only one sought earnestly enough." She spoke more as if to herself than to him.
"Then perhaps," said Denham, pleasantly, "we may hope that you will in time light upon the very kindliest and rightest way combined of judging not only abstract subjects, but also the not altogether unworthy inhabitants of even this little place of Joppa." "Oh, Joppa!" cried Gerald, all the impatience instantly coming back to her face and voice.